Plural indicator signalling system with selective indicator control



Feb, 196 M. PAULL PLURAL INDICATOR SIGNALLING SYSTEM WITH SELECTIVE INDICATOR CONTROL Filed May 19, 1961 United States Patent 3,234,541 PLURAL INDICATOR SIGNALLING SYSTEM WITH SELECTIVE INDICATOR CONTROL Melvin Pauli, 8001 Rosiline Drive, St. Louis, Mo. Filed May 19, 1961, Ser. No. 111,227 2 Claims. (Cl. 340-312) The present invention relates to an annunciator system. It is an improvement of my earlier Patent No. 2,942,249 of June 21, 1960.

In general, this invention includes an annunciator system that operates to give visible and audible signals whenever any one of a group of objects is operated. In the embodiment here illustrated, a primary control element is associated with each of a group of doors, and the annunciator is adapted to signal whenever any one of the doors is Opened. The annunciator may be used .with other like operations.

With the present arrangement a visible signal, such as a flasher operated lamp, is set into operation whenever one of the primary signals is operated by its door. Also, an audible signal such as a buzzer is normally simultaneously operated.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a means for rendering the audible signal inoperative at will when it is operated by any of the primary controls without rendering it inoperative for operation by any of the other primary controls, and at the same time to maintain it subject to being rendered inoperative upon normal deenergization of the visible signal. In other words, the present system provides means to start a visible and an audible signal upon occurrence of a predetermined event at any one of a plurality of stations, with means to stop both signals by a signal action at the said station, and with means to stop one signal at the station without interfering with continued operation of .the other signal. Further, the system always permits the .two signals to be reenergized when another station calls for their operation, regardless of whether the one or both of them are deenergized at an initial station. And if desired, each station can be arranged to keep both of its -signals at all times subject to the condition of the initial starting device, so that upon return of it to rest posi-' tion, both signals will be deenergized.

Other objects will appear in the description to follow.

The drawing is a schematic diagram of the circuitry for this control.

In the drawing, six stations are illustrated, some com- .pletely and others indicated fragmentally. Except as noted, a description of one will suffice for all.

In this case, a source of power is shown at 10, here illustrated as comprising a generator-transformer circuit arrangement. This particular arrangement is not essential, but it demonstrates that the entire circuitry of this invention can be at low voltage.

The secondary 12 of the transformer delivers power to two lines. One comprises two parallel branches 14 and 15, and the other line 16 is of opposite polarity. A master switch 17 in the line 16 is designed to deenergize the entire circuit at will.

As illustrated, there are groups of stations A, B, C, D, E, and F, each having a series of primary control switches .20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, respectively. These switches 20-25 are all normally closed into their upper positions,

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but areheld in position when the respective doors 2631 are closed. Thus, it any door is opened its respective switch closes.

Referring to station A, there is a lead from the power line 14 to the normally closed switch 20. From the switch another lead 36 extends to a solenoid coil 37. From the coil 37 a wire 38 connects to a wire 39. In parallel with the solenoid coil 37, there is a signal lamp for the individual station. This parallel branch includes a wire 4% leading from the wire 36 to a lamp 41 and a wire 42 from the lamp to the wire 39. The wire 39 leads to a normally closed switch 44. From the other side of the switch 44 a lead 45 connects into the other power line 16. The solenoid coil 37 operates a double pole armature providing switches 47 and 48. A relay holding circuit for the coil 37 may be provided, employing the switch 47. It comprises a wire 49 leading from the power line 15 to the switch 47, and a wire 50 connecting the switch into the wire 40. Under some circumstances thisholding circuit may be eliminated, as will appear.

The other solenoid switch 48 controls parallel circuit branches for audible and visual signals. To this end, the switch 48 is connected at one side to the branch 49 of the power line 15. A wired]. leads from the other terminal of this switch element to a junction 52. From the junction the two signal branches lead. The visible signal branch includes a wire 53 connecting to a flasher 54, a lamp 55, and thence by a wire 56 into the other power line 16.

Also from the junction 52 an audible signal branch leads. There is a wire 63 leading therefrom to one side of a normally closed switch armature 64. From the other side of this switch, a wire 65 connects into a buzzer network. This buzzer network includes a wire 66 connecting through a normally closed switch armature 67 to the wire 68, into a buzzer 69, and thence by wire 70 to the other power line 16.

The wire 65 also leads by a wire 73 into a normally open switch 74, from which another wire 75 leads to a solenoid coil 76 designed, when energized, to operate the switch armature 67 and another armature to be described. From the coil 76 another wire 77 leads to the power line 16. Thus, when the normally open switch 74 is closed, the coil 76 can be energized and the switch 67 controlling the buzzer can be opened.

There is a holding circuit for the relay coil 76. This comprises a Wire'8l} connected to the wire 66, to the normally open armature 81 of the relay, and thence by way of the wire 82 into the coil 76.

Each station also includes a circuit branch that is designed to render the buzzer inoperative despite the operation of the primary switch of that particular branch. Returning to the junction 52, there is a wire 86 leading therefrom to one side of a normally open switch 87. A wire 88 leads from the switch 37 through a solenoid coil 89 from which a wire 90 connects into the other power linele. Thus, when the switch 87 is closed, the coil 39 is energized to open the armature 64. There is a holding circuit for the coil 89. It comprises a wire 91 connected to the wire 36, to a holding switch armature 92 closed by energization of the coil 89, and to a wire 93 connected into the wire 88. It thus shunts the switch 87 to hold the coil 89 energized, once it has been energized.

The other stations B-F are usually identical. However, station B has been illustrated without the holding circuit for the solenoid coil 37. In this case, the switch 48 controlling both general signals 55 and 69 remains energized only so long as a primary switch remains closed.

Operatin.-To illustrate this system it will be explained where the primary switches are closed when doors are opened. Of course, the primary switches may be operated by other objects or may be operated manually, in other applications of the invention.

When a primary switch such as the switch 20 is closed, power is introduced from the power line 14 through the wire 35, the switch 20, the wire 36, the solenoid coil 3'7, the wire 38, the wire'39, the normally closed switch 44, the wire 45 and the other power line 16 back to the power source. Also the parallel branch through the lamp 41 is put in circuit. This closed circuitry energizes the relay coil 37, causing it to draw'both of its armatures 47 and 48 upwardly into closed position. When the holding circuit is used, the closing of the switch 47 shunts the switch 20, and introduces power to the relay coil 37 from the power line 15, the wire 49, the armature 47 and the wire 50 to the coil 37 and to the lamp 41. This circuit through the coil 37 will then remain closed until 1 it is broken elsewhere, as by the opening of the switch 44.

Station B does not have the holding circuit, and hence its circuits will remain closed only so long as its door remains open.

When the lower armature 48 of the relay is closed, it introduces power to the junction 52, from the power line 15 through the wire 49, the armature 48 and the wire 51 to the junction. When the junction 52 is energized, the circuit is always continued through the wire 53, the flasher 54, the lamp 55 and the wire 56 to the other power line 16. This starts the main signal lamp into operation, flashing. The only way that it can be stopped from operating is to reopen the switch 48; and the way that this can be accomplished is by opening the switch 44.

It will be noted that opening a switch 44 of a particu lar'station, does not interfere with any operation of the flasher 54 and the lamp 55 by a different station since, even if a switch 44 on one station is opened, any other station circuitry can be established to energize the wire 53.

When the armature 43 is closed and the junction 52 energized, a circuit to the audible signal 69 is normally energized. This starts from the junction 52 and continues through the wire 53, the relay armature 64, the

ture 67, the' wire 68, the buzzer 69 and the wire 70, to the other power line 16. As is evident, this circuit is dependent'upon the switches 48, 64 and 67. The switches 64 and 67 are manually controlled. a

If the manual switch 87 at the individual station is closed, it introduces power from the junction 52 through wire 65, the wire 66, the normally closed relay armathe wire 86, the switch 87, the wire 38, the coil 89, and a the wire 90 to the other power line 16, thus energizing the coil 89 and opening the switch 64. This action also moves the armature 91 to closed position, thereby shunting the switch 87 and introducing power directly to the coil 89 by way of the wire 92, the armature 91 and the wire 93. By this arrangement, closing of the switch 87 will deenergize the buzzer 69 until the power is taken away from the junction 52 by the opening of the switches 43. It will be remembered that they are opened by opening the switches 44.

The foregoing deenergization of he buzzer'by closing any switch 87 of any energized station does not interfere with the immediate reenergization of the buzzer by the actuation of any of the other station circuits. As a matter of fact, if a second station is energized before the deenergization of a prior station, the operation of the switch 87 on the previously energized stations will not stop the buzzer from operating. The operator will then be warned that more than one door has been opened.

However, it is possible to deenergize the buzzer against any action by any of the stations until all have been rendered inoperative. If the switch 74 is closed after the operation of any primary switch and before the station circuit is reopened by its switch 44, a circuit is established from the line 65 (provided the switch 87 has not been operated) through the wire 73, the switch 74, the wire 75, the coil 76, and the wire 77 to the other power line 16. This energizes the coil 76, opening the switch 67 to deenergize the buzzer, and closing the switch 8 1. Closing of the switch 81 shunts the switch 74 by connecting the wire 80 from the line 66 through the switch 81 and the wire 32 to the coil 76. By this arrangement, as soon as a primary circuit has been closed and a buzzer has been started, the operator can stop the buzzer and prevent it from being reoperated until all of the stations have become inoperative. The flasher lamp 55 and the individual lamps 41 continue operating regardless of whether the buzzer is energized or deenergized. Normally only one audible warning is required to bring the operator to the switchboard where the lamps are located.

On the other hand, if the operator closes the switches 87 of all energized stations, that renders the circuitry from the line 65 ineffective, since it opens the switch 64 and disconnects the wire 65 from power. If the relay 76 has been energized at this point, it will be released.

It is to be noted that the audible signal is always subject to control by the switches 44, as are the visible signals, so that when the latter switches are operated, all of the signals are deenergized.

There is, in the present arrangement, a maximum flexibility of operation. Any primary switch can start operation of its signal light 41, the audible signal 69 and the general flasher lamp signal 55. The operator may quickly check the indicated primary switch, and being satisfied, may press open its deenergizing switch 44. If no other stations have been operated, the system will become entirely inactive. Or the operator may close the switch 87, which stops the noise signal, but leaves the general -visual signal 55 flashing. This he may do pending his investigation of the cause of the alarm. If two primary switches are opened contemporaneously, the operator may well close the switch 74, deenergizing the noise signal, since he has already been called to the same board, and will investigate all stations showing signal lights.

At any time, the operator may openall circuits by opening the master switch 17. However, if any pri- 'mary switch remains closed, a release of the switch 17 will be followed by a restart of the signals of such station.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the process of this invention'as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a signalling system for use with a plurality of stations, a first and second signal; a plurality of primary switches, one for each station; means operated by each primary switch to energize both signals, a first switch means associated with each station to render both signals inoperative, a second switch means associated with each station to render only one signal inoperative; the

means operated by each primary switch including a primary relay, the coil of which is in circuit with the primary switch and the first switch means, and the primary relay switch of which is in circuit with the two signals; and

the second switch means comprises a second relay having its relay switch in circuit with one signal and its coil subject to the primary relay switch with a switch device in circuit with the coil, whereby closure of the first switch is necessary to energize the signals, and closure of the a switch device can then eifect energization of the said second relay coil and deenergization of one signal; and whereby opening of the firstswitch means can deenergize both signals and the second relay coil.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein there is an addi- 5 6 tional switch means to render the one signal inoperative 2,600,132 6/1952 Scaton 340-327 and maintain it so, dependent upon continued closure of 2,942,249 6/1960 Paull 340-312 the first switch. 2,969,532 1/1961 Ebel 340-327 References Cited by the Examiner 5 NEIL C, READ, Primary Examiner. UNITED STATE PATENTS STEPHEN W. CAPELLI, Examiner.

2,447,625 8/ 1948 Astin 340--327 

1. IN A SIGNALLING SYSTEM FOR USE WITH A PLURALITY OF STATIONS, A FIRST AND SECOND SIGNAL; A PLURALITY OF PRIMARY SWITCHES, ONE FOR EACH STATION; MEANS OPERATED BY EACH PRIMARY SWITCH TO ENERGIZE BOTH SIGNALS, A FIRST SWITCH MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH STATION TO RENDER BOTH SIGNALS INOPERATIVE, A SECOND SWITCH MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH STATION TO RENDER ONLY ONE SIGNAL INOPERATIVE; THE MEANS OPERATIED BY EACH PRIMARY SWITCH INCLUDING A PRIMARY RELAY, THE COIL OF WHICH IS IN CIRCUIT WITH THE PRIMARY SWITCH AND THE FIRST SWITCH MEANS, AND THE PRIMARY RELAY SWITCH OF WHICH IS IN CIRCUIT WITH THE TWO SIGNALS; AND THE SECOND SWITCH MEANS COMPRISES A SECOND RELAY HAVING ITS RELAY SWITCH IN CIRCUIT WITH ONE SIGNAL AND ITS COIL SUBJECT TO THE PRIMARY RELAY SWITCH WITH A SWITCH DEVICE IN CIRCUIT WITH THE COIL, WHEREBY CLOSURE OF THE FIRST SWITCH IS NECESSARY TO ENERGIZE THE SIGNALS, AND CLOSURE OF THE SWITCH DEVICE CAN THEN EFFECT ENERGIZATION OF THE SAID SECOND RELAY COIL AND DEENERGIZATION OF ONE SIGNAL; AND WHEREBY OPENING THE FIRST SWITCH MEANS CAN DEENERGIZE BOTH SIGNALS AND THE SECOND RELAY COIL. 